Sweet n' Sour
by Noah Hunter
Summary: Life with Derek had always been the same old thing, but when George and Nora get a divorce, everything falls out of whack. But maybe this was the best thing that ever happened. -yeah. i stink at summaries. haha. just read x enjoy.-
1. Chapter 1

-1(Disclaimer: I do not own Life With Derek. Aw, whatta drag ne. XD If I did, the pairing of CaseyxDerek would be a reality tebayo!)

- - - - - - - - -

Derek: Can we just get this thing started?

Casey: Seriously. Don't you have any patience what-so-ever? .

Me: This is Derek we're talking about.

Derek: Yeah! ….Hey wait…

Me: Alrighty then!! rolls up sleeves I'm just gonna start now before I get myself mauled by you guys' fans. See ya! runs off

Derek x Casey: . . .sweat drop

- - - - - - - - -

Derek lay on his bed reading a comic book. The loud drum beat and revving guitars spewing from his radio was enough to drown out any other sounds from anywhere outside of his room. This was how he liked it. Saturday. No school, no annoying teachers or classmates, no homework (not that he bothered to do his homework on any day of the week). Just your everyday slacker, a superhero and the freedom to be who he was, without the confines of high school etiquette. Or, for what little etiquette Derek had.

However, as much as Derek wanted his mind to be fully focused on what was going on in his comic book and where he would settle himself next for the luxury of comfort, it wasn't. No. As of right now, Derek was waiting for a certain someone to coming bursting through his door like a stampeding elephant, with her hair so white it envied the show plastered to every surface outside the warm atmosphere of the house. Ah! The prankster could see his step-sister's face now.

"Any minute now." Derek smirked to himself as he checked his watch. He casually flipped a page in his comic book without taking the time to really read it.

As if on cue, the door to Derek's room slammed open, nearly tearing off it's hinges, as Casey stormed in, white as a ghost. She stomped over to the repulsive radio that threatened to overwhelm her yelling and yanked the cord out of the socket. Then, turning to her step-brother, she yelled:

"Derek! You little uncultured, obnoxious," she growled, "LOSER! Look what you did! I have a date in an hour!"

Derek tried to control himself to keep from laughing, but this was too priceless. He wished he would have taken the incentive to get a camera. "Aww, don't get so mad Case. Old Lady is a good look for you." He lowered his voice slightly to make for more drama. "It really brings out your eyes." He fell back onto his pillow and started laughing. His dear step-sister shot him a glare that could kill a puppy.

"It's not funny Derek!" Casey yelled. "Now I gotta go take another shower, no thanks to you! I'll never be ready in time!"

Pretending to take some pity on the angry brunette standing in front of him, Derek rolled his eyes and shrugged into a more comfortable position on his bed. "Chill sis. When Sam comes by, I'll just stall him. No problemo."

Casey didn't fall for this one bit. She knew Derek way too well to trust anything he said or did.

"Oh no! No way! I'm not trusting you with a guy I like!" She hesitated a second before reaching a reluctant decision. "I'll just call and postpone it."

"Hey. Sam's a friend. My best friend, mind you. I can stall him. What? You afraid I'd steal him from you?" He teased.

Casey glared at him. "This is all your fault Derek!" She jabbed an accusatory finger in his face. "And when you least expect it, I'm going to get you back." She concluded matter-of-factly.

"Oh! I'm so scared." Derek retorted, sarcasm oozing from every word. "I better watch out or the princess will clean and organize my closet."

Casey shot him a devious smirk. "We'll see. Just you wait." And with that, she left the room, leaving Derek to burst into another fit of hysterics and go back to reading his comic book.

- - - - - - - - -

"Hello there, fattening bag of crispy, crunchy fried deliciousness." Derek grinned as he pulled a bag of fried pig skins out from the back of the pantry. His stomach was begging for some food and Derek was not the one to ignore his body's needs. As the brunette busied himself with adding a sloppily made brisket sandwich to a paper plate and pouring himself a glass of milk, "eh, what will building strong bones hurt," he thought, Derek's thoughts began to roam back to his step-sister. He couldn't help but wonder what she and her new boyfriend Sam were up to on their date. "Poor Sam." He thought as he made his way into the living room with his buffet. "Probably died listening to all that girl talk." He shook his head. But for some reason, he didn't feel at all happy about the whole ordeal. Sure, Sam was his best friend and all and then Casey was his step-sister, but something about the two of them being together irked him. It just didn't seem right. Lazily and hoping to distract his mind with something else, Derek flopped himself down on the couch, reached for the remote laying on the table and flicked the TV to Comedy Central.

When he had finished eating, Derek stood and ventured into the kitchen to throw the plate and chip bag away. It was quiet, except for the TV in the background. He sighed loudly as he ran a hand through his untidy hair. Being home alone had its perks, but he found himself kind of wishing that everyone was back from their two week trip by now. Bugging the hell out of only Casey was slowly becoming a bore. What he needed were fresh targets.

"Just gotta make due for one more week." He consoled himself. "Then the fun will be back." He took one last sip of his milk before tossing the empty glass into the sink, paying no mind to the indefinable taste that the beverage left in his mouth. It was probably just some new diet crap his step-sister was trying out. "Like she really needs it." He thought annoyed as he returned to the comfort of the couch, where he soon drifted off to sleep.

Derek didn't know why it happened or how it had happened, but all of a sudden he was jerked from his dreams of something he felt had been really good, and was overwhelmed with the sudden urge to rush to the nearest bathroom.

"The hell?!" Derek yelled in confusion as he nearly collided with the banister on his mad dash to the upstairs toilet. He tore open the door that beckoned sweet reprieve, slammed the door shut, out of a "bad" habit that Casey had inflicted him with, and rushed to that great porcelain god across the tile sea.

"Guh!" He groaned. He felt sick. "Was it something I ate?" Derek began to mentally pour over the buffet of food that he had gorged himself with that day. Nothing out of the ordinary came to mind. No matter how hard he tried, Derek couldn't think of one single thing he had eaten that would have had this effect on him. Him! The iron-stomach!

And that was how it was for the rest of the evening. Every five minutes, Derek would be racing to the toilet as if his life depended on it. It didn't make any sense. Was he sick? He wasn't throwing up, so it couldn't be something serious. What was going on?

Downstairs, the front door opened as Casey returned from her date with Sam.

"I'm home." She called out. She shut the door behind her and dropped her purse into a nearby chair. "Derek?" She called again. "Hm. Must be out." Humming to herself, the brunette ventured into the kitchen to get a glass of tap water and there, in the sink, was an empty glass. It was frosted with a soft, white residue that could only mean one thing. Derek had just gotten what had been coming to him. A devious, but rather pleased expression crept into her features.

"Oh Derek." She called out innocently as she walked out of the kitchen.

It wasn't long before Derek came stumbling downstairs. He looked a wreck. Like he had just been running a marathon and had gotten lost on the way. His eyes locked with his step-sister's as realization latched onto him.

"You!" He pointed an accusing finger in Casey's direction, gripping the banister with his other hand for support. "What did you do to me?!"

Casey feigned ignorance. "Whatever do you mean sweet, sweet Derek?" The smirk that flickered into existence on her lips gave up the act.

"Alright! Ha! Ha! Very funny Casey!" Derek cried out acidly. "Now, tell me what's going on!"

"Oh." Casey answered sweetly. "I just forgot to buy new milk is all."

"Heh!!" Derek exclaimed, nearly slipping on the steps.

Casey turned to walk away, but stopped momentarily to look over her shoulder.

"Well, no one said you had to drink it."

Derek was dumbfounded. It was true. No had had actually made him drink that rancid milk, but still. Of all the undermined, deceitful things for a person to do. Oh! She made him so mad! But, when he really stopped to think about it, somewhere deep inside him he felt, well,…proud.

"Even so." He thought rebelliously. "I might just have to show her who the real master prankster still is." He began to chuckle deviously to himself until he was suddenly cut off guard by his out of whack bodily functions again. "After I go to the bathroom!" He unintentionally cried aloud as he, once again, ran to the sanctuary of the bathroom.

- - - - - - - - -

It was Tuesday afternoon. Casey sat at her desk typing away at a History report for school, not bothering to pay attention to anything else until she was finished and had made sure her paper was perfect. In fact, she was so wrapped up in getting her work done, that she didn't see Derek come in and lean against her shelf by the door.

"Hey uhm…" The sudden sound of something other than the fierce click-clacking of the computer's keyboard startled the brunette. She nearly knocked over her glass of water that was sitting right next to her on the desk. A heavy sigh of relief escaped her, as the water did not spill. What a disaster that would have been if it had actually fallen over. Then, remembering the intruder in her room, she whirled her chair around to face him.

"What do you want?" She was determined to finish that report today if it was the last thing she did. Vacation or no vacation, Derek had no right to barge in and divert her from her studies.

Derek seemed a bit uneasy. He looked down at his feet, his hands stuffed deeply into the dark blue hoodie he was wearing. "Well," He began. "Mom and Dad just called."

"Good for them." Casey stated a bit irritated. "Now if you don't mind-" She noticed the way her step-brother was acting and stopped what she was saying. "Derek?" She asked. Casey didn't think there was ever a time when Derek, king of 'I could care less', looked so perturbed. Cautiously, Casey stood from her chair and faced her step-brother with worry in her eyes. "Are…they okay?"

Derek sighed. "Yeah. They're not hurt if that's what you thinking."

Phew! That was a relief. So what exactly had Derek acting so…not himself.

The slacker stood silent for a moment. How could he come out and break the news to Casey? He knew that it had hit him pretty hard when he had first heard those words from his dad, but he knew that, being who he was, he'd get over it. But this was Casey. Casey, who flipped out like some insane person if she got a B on a test. Derek just couldn't handle the fact of what might happen when he told her that everything was going to be different from now on.

"Derek?" Casey was inches from him when he came out of his thoughts. Derek took a deep breath and shook his head solemnly.

"Mom and Dad…Your mom…my dad…they uhm…"

Casey stayed silent. Her eyes wide with anticipation as she awaited what it was her step-brother was trying to say.

"No more." He said simply.

"What?" Casey didn't quite get it.

Derek felt that there was no easy way of saying this anymore. There wasn't anyway that he could dig up that might end up having a different affect on his step-sister. It was better to just blurt out everything and hope that Casey wouldn't freak out.

"Our parents are getting a divorce!" He practically yelled. It felt good to finally get that off his chest and out of his system. However, the look that he got from his studious step-sister made him wish he had just turned and left the room without saying a word.

She bared down on Derek with a look that sent shivers down his spine. Had this had been any other situation, the slacker would have just waved a defensive hand in front of his face and laughed her off. But this wasn't just some simple situation that could easily be avoided by acting like a complete idiot. Well, it was possible to do that, but Derek was afraid that if he so much as tried, he'd earn himself a one way ticket to the emergency room, courtesy of Casey, or worse. And at the moment, he was not about to try his luck.

- - - - - - - - -

So far so good ne? Well, hopefully you guys will stick around for the ending. I hope to have it up real soon.


	2. Chapter 2

-1(I still no own Life With Derek. Nyuuu T.T )

Derek: Yeah. Finally. The second part. WOOT!

Me: What? Hey. It didn't take me that long to write it. .

Derek: crosses arms That's because you're not the one waiting for it.

Me: For God's sake. Patience dude.

Derek: NEVAH!!

Casey: We're doomed.

Me: What do you mean we? XX

- - - - - - - - -

The next couple of weeks were a mess. Between the kids trying to deal with yet another divorce and then the whole ordeal of which parent got custody of which kids-- It was just a complete and utter nightmare.

"Hey. I'll see you at school. Not like we'll die or nothing." Derek told Casey over the phone one afternoon. He had had to move out with his dad and siblings yesterday morning. It had been Sunday.

"I know. I know." Casey reassured him as much as herself. "It just won't be the same without you here. Who am I going to yell at when something goes wrong?" She gave a wry laugh.

Derek's tone of voice brightened as it usually did when he was about to make a smart-ass remark. "Get a dog. That way, you can just go and say the dog did it."

Casey rolled her eyes, but smiled non-the-less. "Maybe I should name him Derek too, huh."

"Aww. I'd be so flattered." Derek teased.

It was going to be different, they had to admit. Waking up each morning without having the ritual greeting of Casey ready and raring to go to school, dragging a zombie-like Derek along like a dog on a leash. The former step-siblings couldn't help but feel a bit sad. Sure, they would see each other at school and maybe on the weekends that weren't spent with busy schedules or dating, but at least before, they would see each other 24/7, whether they liked it or not.

Attempting to break through the moment of silence that had befallen the two, Derek said, "Hey Case. Like I said. Don't worry about it. I gotta go, but I'll see ya tomorrow. We can eat lunch or something. Just you and me."

Casey nodded, although she knew that Derek could not see. "Yeah." She agreed. "I'll hold you to it jerk-face." She teased.

"Later, grade-grubber." Derek laughed as the two of them hung up.

With his cell phone set back onto its place on top of his nightstand, Derek lay back on his bed, arms crossed behind his head.

"Tomorrow." He sighed before he drifted off to sleep.

- - - - - - - - -

They were just two friends sitting next to each other at the lunch table, talking loudly, annoying the hell out of each other, as usual, with talk of grades and excessive burps exploding forth every so often from a certain messy-haired brunette boy. But they were friends; hanging out like any other pair or group of friends would.

"Derek. One more burp and I swear." Casey warned as she took a bite of her turkey sandwich.

Derek got a mischievous glint in his eye as he shot his friend a side-glance. "Yeah?" He smirked.

"I swear Derek. Don't you dare--"

The sound erupted from the brunette beside her. It was as if two pieces of the earth's surface had just collided with each other to create some kind of mini earthquake. Casey glared at Derek before slapping him hard on the back of his head.

"Ow!" Derek yelped. "I was kidding! You didn't have to hit me!" His tone wasn't mad at all. In fact, it held a sort of playful pity-me feel to it. Casey laughed.

"I warned you." She replied simply, turning her attention back to her lunch.

Derek rubbed the back of his head. A smile clearly visible on his face. "Still as vicious as ever."

- - - - - - - - -

For a Monday, the day ended up going by extremely fast for the two ex-step-siblings. Maybe it was that, just for today, Casey had ended up passing back the notes that Derek had passed to her, instead of just shooting him a death glare across the room and shrugging him off. Derek reminded himself to tease her in person once the last class of the day let out.

Only twenty minutes to go.

As Derek unfolded the piece of paper that was handed to him by some kid he didn't really know, he smiled down at the all-too-neat handwriting that could only be Casey's. This was so typical. He hadn't ever really looked at her handwriting before, so he had never really thought about how it would look. Why would he? Thinking about how people wrote? That was such a waste of time he would rather have a whole day of geometry or calculus. At least he could fall asleep in peace. However, for some reason, though he would carry this with him to the grave and beyond, Casey's way of writing intrigued him. Maybe it was boredom kicking in from having to sit through a lecture on…well…whatever it was the teacher was lecturing about. He didn't know. But sitting there, looking down at the letter in his lap made him feel a bit…well, again, he didn't know what it was. Snapping out of his thoughts, Derek began to read what was written on the small scrap of notebook paper.

_-You're driving me home today right. Remember my mom has that new job and she can't come pick me up, so I've got no one else. As much as I really don't trust you behind the wheel mailbox-murderer.-_

Derek could tell that Casey was only kidding about her not trusting him driving. It was an inside joke when they were step-siblings. An inside joke that had formed all because of an event that happened while Derek had taken his dad's car out for a little drive and backed up right over the mailbox, almost running over the neighbor's cat. Yeah. Those were good times. Quickly, Derek scribbled his response, being a simple _-yes- _and sent the note on its way, back across the classroom to Casey.

- - - - - - - - -


	3. Chapter 3

(Nopes! Still no own Life With Derek.)

Me: UPDATE!

Derek: EEE-YAAAY!!

Casey: Aheh…

- - - - - - - - -

The Prince sat in the High School parking lot, standing out from all the other cars on account of it being so _unique_. Derek had to admit, as he and Casey came up to ancient relic, that it wouldn't have been his first choice, but George had been so apt to _pass down the torch_, that the boy had caved and accepted the…err…car with great enthusiasm.

"How did I end up with you?" Derek muttered as he climbed in the driver's seat and stuck the keys in the ignition.

"What?" Casey asked as she got in the passenger's seat beside her friend.

Derek hadn't noticed that he had been talking aloud, and even more so, that he had been talking to the hunk of tin his father so lovingly called 'The Prince'. It was pathetic.

"Err…nothing. Nothing." He exclaimed, turning the key and waiting for the rusted motor to sputter loudly into existence. Next to him, Casey coughed her displeasure, but smiled non-the-less.

As Derek pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street that led away from the school, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. The sudden amount of pressure that was applied to the brakes made Casey squeak in protest. She threw her hands out onto the dashboard in front of her to stop her from ramming into it.

"Derek! What's the matter with you!?"

But the boy didn't answer. Hastily, and not caring in the least that he had just stopped right smack dab in the middle of the parking lot, Derek put The Prince in park, killed the already dying engine and yanked the keys out of the ignition. Casey watched her friend in complete confusion and disbelief as he then slammed open the door and, almost running, made his way towards two figures Casey couldn't make out.

"Derek!!" She yelled, perturbed, unbuckling her seat-belt and climbing out of the car. What was with him? Just as she turned to go after her friend, she saw it. At first she couldn't really discern one person from the other, but aware of the manner in which Derek had approached these people, she knew that the one to throw the first punch had been her friend. Screaming his name again, she sprinted up to the scene being displayed in front of her. She stood, looking down in horror at the victim of Derek's violence. "Sam?!"

Sam, a dark bruise now clear around his left eye glanced up Casey as if she were a ghost. Quickly, he jumped to his feet and faced her.

"Casey." He sounded nervous.

Before Casey could asked what this whole ordeal had been about, Derek intervened, practically yelling. "This bastard was kissing another girl!" He pointed a dangerous finger at a girl standing a couple paces behind Sam. Casey had to look around Sam's shoulder to see her.

"What?" She said, glancing at Derek, then to Sam, then back to Derek again.

"Now--" Sam spluttered, "No! I wouldn't--"

"Yeah. Yeah. Keep talking buddy and I'll give ya another shiner to show off!" Derek exclaimed, grabbing a handful of Sam's collar and pulling him closer to where their noses almost touched.

"Stop it!" Casey yelled, leaping between the two boys and pulling Derek off of Sam. She had seen and heard enough. "Derek. Let's go."

Before Derek could protest, Casey had him by the wrist and was yanking him back along the parking lot, back to The Prince. As they got in and buckled up, Derek lost control again.

"He cheated on you!" He growled dangerously. "My best friend, your boyfriend effin' cheated on you! And you're gonna walk away like you don't give a damn?!"

Casey shifted in her seat. She was uncomfortable. She was sick. She was confused. But what was she was supposed to do? Her boyfriend…ex-boyfriend, had just been caught cheating on her. And to add to it, Derek had run in to beat the bastard to a pulp…and would have if Casey hadn't intervened. She thanked Derek. She really did. But the situation wasn't something her brain could process at the moment. What she needed was to go home, sit in the sanctuary of her room and think.

A sigh escaped from Derek as he, once again, unbuckled his seat-belt. But this time, he wasn't going to run off. He wasn't going to go anywhere. His friend was hurt and all he wanted to do was comfort her. And that's just what he did. Without really thinking about what he was doing or what Casey's reaction may be, Derek lent over and pulled his friend into a tight embrace.

Casey's eyes went wide as Derek hugged her. This was Derek after all. Never before, when they had lived together had he shown such affection to anybody, especially to her. He would usually just hold out his hand for Casey to shake if she came at him so enthusiastically. But now, he was actually hugging her. Derek was actually showing emotion and revealing a side of himself that was actually…human.

"I'm sorry." He told her softly, squeezing her a little tighter. "I really am."

- - - - - - - - -

Guess what. The final part is coming soon. Sorry for the short update, but the ending is on it's way. I hope you guys don't hate me too much. lol.


	4. Chapter 4

-1((runs away) I still don't own Life With Derek and never will!)

Me: Well, I dunno if this is good news or bad news, but this is the final update of this fan-fiction.

Derek: What? You mean it's over? O.o

Me: (nods) That's exactly what I mean. (turns to fans as Derek glooms in corner) But I just might be coming up with another one soon…maybe.

Casey: (pokes Derek)

Me: Okie dokie then. On with the finale!

- - - - - - - - -

For some reason, once Saturday rolled around, Casey found herself sitting on the couch waiting by the telephone. It was seven in the afternoon and any minute now, that phone was going to ring. Every Saturday, after the divorce, that otherwise silent device would remind the household that it was still alive and kicking, all thanks to the cord that kept it connected to the wall. Now, in a matter of minutes…seconds if she was lucky, Casey would be picking up that phone and hearing the voice that she was waiting to hear.

"Oh man." Casey nearly blanched at the realization that hit her like a semi-truck. "What am I doing? Guh! I sound like a middle-scholar waiting on her boyfriend to call." She grabbed one of the throw pillows and squeezed it…hard. It was only Derek. Derek. The annoying step brother that she had been forced to endure for the majority of her impressionable teenage life. The same Derek that had a knack for getting on the brunette's last nerve and putting on a face like it wasn't his problem.

"Then why is it that all of a sudden…when I'm around him…"

There it was. That electronic noise echoed through the living room like a minstrel heralding rays of hope. Casey practically dove for the receiver, killing the constant ringing. Not that the poor phone had a chance to ring more than twice.

"Derek. Hey." She said, suppressing her rapid heartbeat to sound as if everything was normal.

"Hey." Derek replied. A knowing smile spread across his face as he shook his head. "Same ol' Casey." He said.

"What?" Asked Casey.

Derek laughed. He was well aware that, no matter how hard his friend tried to hide it, she had attacked the phone the second he had called. Ah. The joys of having caller ID.

"It's just that…" He began. "It's you. I know you all too well Case. Don't tell me you didn't rush to the phone the second I called." He grinned mischievously.

"N-no I did not." She stammered. "I just so happened to be sitting next to the thing when it rang is all. Shows how much you know, Derek."

Absentmindedly, Derek scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. Yeah. Whatever you say Case."

Thank the heavens that they were only talking over the phone because, for some reason, they were sure that their cheeks were turning slightly red in the silence that followed. Neither of them was aware of what the other was planning to say next. So there they sat, waiting for whatever it was that was to turn up next.

"It's official." Derek blanched mentally. "I think I actually like Casey as more than…than a friend." He nearly dropped his cell as he messed up his already unruly hair in frustration. "Is there something wrong with me?"

On the other line, Casey's thought process was mostly the same. "It's too weird. I can't say that I like him…..actually LIKE him. It's Derek! Oh my God. What am I thinking? We're friends!"

"I have to ask though." Derek thought, a bit calmer now. "And it's not like we're related anymore. And…for some reason, everything just feels….right." He took a deep breath as he fell out of his thoughts, becoming aware of the little metal device he had up to his ear. "Casey?"

"Yeah?" Came Casey's voice.

"I…gotta go." He caved. He cracked. He threw his courage out the window. He completely lost all of what sense he had in the first place. In the end, Derek was too embarrassed to say anything else, resulting in him all of a sudden blurting out that he _had to go_. It was hopeless.

Casey didn't know what to say except, "Okay then. I'll see you at school."

And the two hung up.

- - - - - - - - -

It seemed like forever until Monday finally rolled around. All day had been quiet, with nothing too out of the ordinary. Well, except for the fact that Derek was acting a little more _off _than usual. For some reason, when the two of them were sitting in class, Casey would get that odd feeling that she was being watched and when she turned around to see who it was, she would notice Derek suddenly whip his head down to stare intently at his work. And for Derek to actually take such an extreme interest in schoolwork…this wasn't like Derek at all.

At lunch, things seemed even more strange. Derek and Casey always sat at the same table after the divorce, but now, Derek didn't even come into the cafeteria, saying that he had detention from his first period teacher. Casey had let this one slide since, well, it was Derek, and getting detention was a pretty normal occurrence around him, but the way he had said it. The way her friend had acted. Was he trying to avoid her? And if so, why?

As Casey walked to 5th period after lunch, she spotted Derek out of the corner of her eye. He was shoveling through his locker, obviously looking for something. A mischievous smirk played across the brunette's face as she approached her friend with as much stealth as a lioness stalking a gazelle. Once the was right behind him, Casey made her move.

"Derek." She greeted him rather loudly.

Startled, Derek jumped so suddenly that his hand, which was holding the door to his locker, jerked the door forward and into the back of his head.

"AH! Holy shi--" He turned around, mid-sentence and saw who had scared him so shitless. "--Casey. Hi." His voice sounded surprised, even though he tried to mask it with a nonchalant tone. He shut his locker and picked up the books that he had dropped. Casey noticed that a small package lay among the chaos, but didn't pay it much notice.

"You haven't been yourself today, Derek." Casey interrogated the flustered slacker. "Is there something wrong?"

"W-wrong? Nah. No. Why would there be anything wrong? Everything is just perfect." Derek shifted on one foot to the other, fidgeting noticeably as he attempted to lean back casually against the lockers behind him. Casey tried not to laugh at pitiful sight. However, she was serious in wanting to know what her friend had been up to all day. Her eyes fell back to that small package that Derek was now trying to shove into his backpack.

"For a girl?" She asked, smirking a bit at Derek's fetal attempt to hide the thing.

Derek could feel his face start to burn. "Uhm…" He hesitated. "Yeah. For a girl."

But Casey wasn't going to stop there. She wanted to be nosey. She wanted to get the dirt, the scoop, the lowdown on the girl that Derek was trying to not let anyone know about.

"So…" She pried. "Who's the lucky lady that you are oh so desperately trying to keep a secret?" In this moment, she felt like things had never taken a turn. Like she was still Derek's step-sister, clawing her way into her step-brother's business without him wanting her to. The only difference was Derek. Where was that sneer? That rolling of the eyes? That snide remark and shoving past, making excuses that he had to be somewhere in a hurry? Casey fell silent.

"Derek?"

Derek was trapped in his thoughts, desperately trying to figure out his next move. "_Come on, Derek Venturi. Come on_!" He mentally kicked himself. It was now or never. For the past couple days, after the incident with Sam, Derek had discovered that his feelings for Casey went far beyond friendship. So far beyond, in fact, that he thought he might blow up into a million itsy bitsy pieces if he wasn't able to confront her and outright tell her how he really felt. How awkward would that be?

"_But I have to tell her_." He scolded himself. "_Cause if I don't, the janitor is gonna be mopping me off the floor._" Jumping out of his inner conflict, Derek turned to Casey. His pulse rose and his throat became dry. But this couldn't stop him. He couldn't be the slacker on this and just dart away undetected like he did in class. No. He would stand his ground. "Casey. There's…something I have to tell you."

Casey gave him her undivided attention. Mostly because it worried her, the way her friend was acting. "Yes?" She asked rather hesitantly.

"_Just blurt it out! Get it over with! Just blurt it out! Get it over with!_" He thought. "Casey." He told her. "This thing," he picked up the tiny package and held it up for Casey to see more clearly, "it is for a girl, but…" he hesitated, "not just any girl."

Casey gave him a look that said to go on.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is…that…_I swear if you don't say it-- _It's for you." He held it out to Casey whose first reaction was to take it.

He looked at the package in her hand and then up to Derek. "Wait." She suddenly became skeptical. "Is this a joke Derek? Cause if it is--"

"Just open it." Derek pleaded dryly.

And she did. Casey pulled the ribbon off and opened the tiny box. Inside was a beautiful silver chain with a blue butterfly pendant hanging from it. Casey was speechless as she took the item delicately in her hands, careful not the smudge its shiny surface.

"For…me?" She still wasn't sure.

Derek nodded. "Uh-huh." He replied. His tone was sincere. "I saw it in a store and thought you might like it. And…I'm sorry I avoided you today. I've been doing a lot of thinking and well,…I kinda sorta found out that I…I really like you Casey."

Casey raised an eyebrow at him. "And I like you too, but…"

Derek figured that Casey wasn't exactly getting what he was trying to say. He shook his head. "No Case. I mean, I really, really like you." Then without putting any thought to it, Derek leaned and brushed his lips against Casey's.

As he pulled away, Casey looked up at him wide-eyed. In that moment, everything that was hazy in the past became clear. In that one simple kiss, the brunette was hit by the realization that Derek was the one. He was the guy that Casey had hoped to be with one day. The guy that she would love forever and that he, in turn, would feel the same. It was fast. It was so cliché that it was almost sickening, but she couldn't ignore it. Besides, she had grown up learning that sometimes the best things in life are in the strangest places, or come in the oddest packaging. And now she was finding that out first hand.

"I love you, Casey." Derek told her softly as he embraced his friend in a sincere and warm embrace.

Casey smiled as she hugged him back. "I love you too, Derek."

- - - - - - - - -

OMG! WTF?! It's over. Yeah. I kinda had them go completely OOC near the ending. X.X But at 2:00 in the morning, I think that's as good as it's gonna get. Lol. Hopefully it's not too bad. (dies) Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it. Sorry it took so long to update and finish. (rubs back of head abashed) Thanks so much for all your comments and support. Seriously. If it wasn't for you guys, this thing would have, more than likely, ended up lost and forgotten. Thanks again. You guys are great.


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